Details of the buyout that would be required for Stoops to exit the new contract early are unclear, but given OU's long-term investment, it would likely be sizeable. Cost-prohibitive, in fact, for a lot of college programs, but not as much of an issue for an NFL club.

Last year, Stoops was the nation's fifth-highest paid coach at $4.74 million per year, according to USA Today. Stoops has posted a stellar 99-24 record in Big 12 play, with eight conference championships, since taking over the OU program in 1999.